This book reminded me of the movie Field of Dreams, minus the ghost ball players. A “feel-good” type story, with a few rough edges, which is typical for Weaver. He’s written two other books about the same main character, Billy Baggs, which I will probably read as well.

Flora lives with her aunt, uncle and cousins, has a best friend named Piloo, and is haunted by strange memories of a girl named Penelope. Although Flora tries to escape the memories, they continue to haunt her. Flora’s aunt and her friend Piloo become convinced that Flora’s memories are a result of her being reincarnated. Now Flora must decide if she should try to supress the memories, or use them to learn about herself.

Admittedly, this sounds like a weird book, but I really enjoyed it. The mysteries of Flora’s past are intriguing, as is her developing friendship with Piloo, and the sibling rivalry that she experiences with her cousins. Although I don’t believe in reincarnation, it makes for a good supernatural tale.

I love a good “orphan in distress, rags-to-riches” story. My all time favorite is The Little Princess, which I have read many times. This book wasn’t quite as good, but was still very enjoyable. Whelan’s books typically center around a great journey, and this was no exception. Rachel is a missionary child living in Africa. When her parents both die suddenly, she is left in the clutches of the greedy Pritchard family, who send her off to England. They selfishly try to use her for their own gain, and Rachel must decide how to extricate herself from their scheme and do the right thing. The first sections of the book were very enjoyable. The last part tries to quickly wrap up all the loose ends, and seems a little rushed. All in all though it’s a good read.

I really liked this book, but it’s hard to say why. On the surface, it was a book about nothing. It recounts the journey that a couple took a friend’s funeral and back, and in the end, nothing has changed for any of the characters. But somehow, even though everything is still the same, you have a whole new perspective on who the characters are, and why they act the way they do.

Mary Higgins Clark was the author who first got me hooked on the mystery/suspense genre. I enjoyed her mysteries, which are usually centered around an unsuspecting female, who realizes that one of the shady characters in her life is up to no good. However, Clark’s novels are no longer mysterious or suspenseful, and this one was no exception.

The story centers around twin girls, who are kidnapped from their bedroom one night. One girl is eventually returned, and the other is presumed dead. My criticisms of the book are numerous:

-There is no main character–no one with whom you can identify with or get to know or even care about.
-When characters are introduced, it is done with techniques such as this: “A recent magazine article had described her as ’sixty-three years old, with wise and compassionate hazel eyes, a full head of fingerwaved gray hair, and a rounded body that offers a comfortable lap to babies and toddlers.’ ”
-There are too many investigators and detectives to keep track of.
-The bad guys aren’t scarey in the least–they remind me of the burglars in Home Alone.
-The only suspense in the book comes from sentences like this: “There’s a connection I’ve got to make! There’s something I’ve got to remember!”

Why did I finish this book? I’m not sure. But I know I shouldn’t waste my time reading any more of Clark’s books. If she manages to write a good one, will someone let me know?

Newer Posts »